COEX Hall A Korean restaurant, ₩45,000 octopus meal for two: Obongjip

The day my wife and I visited the COEX baby fair, I guess all that walking wore us out because I was really craving something spicy. While looking for restaurants nearby, we ended up at Obongjip Samseong Branch, known for its spicy octopus stir-fry.

How long is the walk from COEX to Obongjip Samseong Branch?

Obongjip Samseong Branch is close by — about a 5-minute walk from COEX Hall A.

• 📍62 Teheran-ro 81-gil, 1F, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• ⏱️11:00–22:00 (break time 14:30–16:00/17:00)
• 🚗Parking is difficult

Parking is difficult, so keep that in mind. Corkage was also available. If you're hosting a gathering and want good drinks with your octopus, it's worth asking about.

Since it's on the first floor, it was super easy to find on foot. The inside was very clean. There was a separate space in the back for group gatherings, and the rest was 4-person tables — plenty of seats, which I liked.

What two people ordered: fire-grilled octopus stir-fry for two and buchujeon

Obongjip is famous for octopus, but apparently also for bossam (boiled pork wrap). We seriously agonized over whether to get the Obongjip Special or the octopus stir-fry — right down to the wire, haha.

We were hungry, but the Obongjip Special felt like too much for two, so we ordered the fire-grilled octopus stir-fry for two (₩14,000 per person) and buchujeon (₩15,000). We went with mild spice. You order from a kiosk at each table! With a zero-sugar cola, it came to ₩45,000. The price felt reasonable!

There were newer menu items too, like Tuumba squid stir-fry. That looked interesting and I wanted to try it — I love Tuumba flavors, haha. I'll have to order it next time.

Banchan and the self-serve bar at Obongjip Samseong Branch

Right after ordering, the banchan (side dishes) came out along with the octopus stir-fry and buchujeon. True to Obongjip style, the side dishes arrived on a stainless steel tray. The basic banchan included bean sprouts and seasoned laver flakes to eat with the octopus, plus kimchi, seasoned vegetables, and — of all things — sausage stir-fry!🥰

Sausage stir-fry is one of my favorite side dishes, so I refilled it, haha. Anything else we ran low on was available from the self-serve bar, including seaweed soup.

How spicy is the mild spice level of the octopus stir-fry?

The moment the octopus stir-fry arrived, that smoky fire-grilled aroma hit and got my appetite going. The spice level was just right too — mild but with kick. If we'd ordered a spicier level, things could have gotten out of hand, haha. And the octopus size was really satisfying — big chunks with a great chew.

Mixing in the bean sprouts, laver flakes and sesame oil turned it into a genuinely delicious octopus bibimbap (mixed rice). It seems like they give extra rice during lunch hours, but if you go later you might need to order rice separately. The octopus is so good that you'll definitely want more rice, so I'd recommend visiting at lunchtime.

My wife usually barely eats rice and gives me more than half her portion, but at Obongjip she scraped her bowl clean! Haha.

Buchujeon (Korean chive pancake), ₩15,000

The buchujeon was crispy and delicious too. No matter how many times I try making it at home, it never comes out this crispy — eating out really is more convenient and tastier, haha.

Worth it for spicy food near COEX and Samseong Station?

True to a COEX-area favorite, Obongjip Samseong Branch stood out for its fire-grilled smokiness and spice. And true to its motto, we left thoroughly full. Getting to eat well and eat a lot at the same time was especially satisfying.

If you're near COEX or Samseong Station looking for spicy food, or just want to eat until you're stuffed, I'd recommend Obongjip. Next time I'm back, I want to try the Tuumba squid stir-fry or the Obongjip Special.